Best Journalism Schools Near Pearl, MS (2026)

Pearl, Mississippi has 1 accredited school offering journalism programs, with tuition ranging from $9,998 to $11,998 per year for indexed programs. Pearl has a population of about 27,458. Median household income is $54,643 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 26.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Jackson, MS metro area, the top-earning journalism-related role is Public Relations Specialist at a median $60,310 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Journalism Schools to Pearl

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer journalism programs near Pearl, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Pearl city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.

How We Rank Schools

Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS). To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked against schools at the same credential level:

  • Graduation rate 30%
  • Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
  • Average net price (lower is better) 20%
  • Retention rate 15%
  • Fully online availability 10%

Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. On this page, schools are ordered by distance from Pearl. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score โ€” U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

University of Southern Mississippi

Hattiesburg, MS 78.9 miles from Pearl
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
39.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 53%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $44,140
Avg net price $21,708/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 71%
  • Programs offered: 51

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

East Mississippi Community College

Scooba, MS 101.3 miles from Pearl
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
57.7 BOC Score
Graduation rate 38%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $33,772
Avg net price $4,608/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 53

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

University of Mississippi

University, MS 148.0 miles from Pearl
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
70.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $50,994
Avg net price $13,314/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 88%
  • Programs offered: 49

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Itawamba Community College

Fulton, MS 169.0 miles from Pearl
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
63.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 43%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $32,912
Avg net price $4,616/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 68

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Rust College

Holly Springs, MS 176.9 miles from Pearl
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
33.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 27%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $32,275
Avg net price $12,587/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 66%
  • Programs offered: 10

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Mississippi schools on the Mississippi journalism page.


Journalism Wages Near Pearl

Pearl is part of the Jackson, MS metro area (BLS area code 27140). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Mississippi statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
News Analyst, Reporter, and Journalist$47,990Jackson, MS$53,921
Editor$49,650Jackson, MS$55,787
Public Relations Specialist$60,310Jackson, MS$67,764

Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.


Pearl at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population27,458Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$54,643Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+26.3%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)89.0 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Pearl-Area Cities With Journalism Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited journalism schools are near Pearl, MS?

Our directory has 1 accredited schools offering journalism programs near Pearl. The closest is University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, MS (79.2 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of Southern Mississippi (79.2 miles). 1 of the highlighted schools is flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying journalism roles near Pearl?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying journalism-related roles near Pearl are: Public Relations Specialist ($60,310), Editor ($49,650), News Analyst, Reporter, and Journalist ($47,990). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Mississippi statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Brandon instead of Pearl?

Brandon, MS is 6.0 miles from Pearl and has its own set of local journalism programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Pearl an affordable place to study journalism?

Pearl’s median household income of $54,643 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Pearl while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Mississippi public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.

How do I verify a program is accredited?

Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.


Learn More About Journalism Programs

Other Programs Available in Pearl

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Pearl:

Data verified: August 11, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024โ€“2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.